1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to wireless control of a snow plow that is mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly, to wireless control of one or more lights mounted on the snow plow, and reliable and robust wireless control of the snow plow.
2. Background Description
Conventional wireless snow plow operation control systems include a plow controller mounted on a plow and a user remote controller in wireless communication with the plow controller. When wireless communication channels between the plow controller and the user remote are unsuitable or unusable, the plow controller and the user remote controller of such systems are unable to communicate to control operations of the snow plow.
Conventional snow plow lighting control systems include user-activated controls for controlling vehicle lights, a vehicle wiring harness connecting the user-activated controls to the vehicle's electrical system and lights, and a plug or other coupler(s) to connect the vehicle wiring harness to a snowplow's wiring harness. The wiring harnesses and plug/couplers carry signals to power and control the snowplow's headlights, turn signals, daytime running lamps, and/or other lights mounted on the snow plow, if equipped. Such plugs or other couplers between the vehicle and snowplow wiring harnesses, when exposed to harsh elements routinely encountered by snow plows (e.g., snow, water, road salt, dirt, debris and sub-freezing temperatures), are susceptible to short circuits or to partial or complete disengagement, undesirably interrupting continuous snow plow controllability.
Conventional snow plow lighting control systems also require a switch to indicate whether or not snow plow lights are to be enabled or vehicle lights are to be enabled. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0073090 teaches wireless remote control operation of the headlights and blinkers of a working implement, such as a snow plow that can be attached to a vehicle. In U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0073090, turn lighting signals and park lighting signals on the plow and on the vehicle are simultaneously and redundantly enabled for operation. Vehicle-mounted headlights, though, may be disabled when plow-mounted headlights are enabled based on a switch that is manipulated by an operator, as taught in this patent publication. For example, the operator or user must manipulate the switch to indicate whether plow-mounted lights should be operational and vehicle lights should be disabled, or whether vehicle-mounted lights should be operational and plow lights should be disabled. Furthermore, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0073090 teaches that if an operator switch is omitted from the system, both the plow headlights and the vehicle headlights remain simultaneously enabled, in a manner similar to the turn and parking lights.
In another system taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,400,058, a vehicle controller (rather than a user or operator) may cause the substitution of plow light operation for vehicle light operation. In this system, however, the vehicle controller receives power only when a snow plow is connected to the vehicle, and is not operational to provide any functionality at all when a snow plow is disconnected.